Need a cozy sweatshirt, bookish tote, or mug? Get one at the BookBrowse Merch Store!

Book Summary and Reviews of Far From True by Linwood Barclay

Far From True by Linwood Barclay

Far From True

A Promise Falls Novel

by Linwood Barclay

  • Critics' Consensus (3):
  • Readers' Rating (22):
  • Published:
  • Mar 2016, 480 pages
  • Rate this book

About this book

Book Summary

New York Times and #1 international bestselling author Linwood Barclay delivers the second spine-chilling thriller set in the troubled town of Promise Falls, following the electrifying cliffhanger ending of Broken Promise...

After the screen of a run-down drive-in movie theater collapses and kills four people, the daughter of one of the victims asks private investigator Cal Weaver to look into a recent break-in at her father's house. Cal discovers a hidden basement room where it's clear that salacious activities have taken place - as well as evidence of missing DVDs. But his investigation soon becomes more complicated when he realizes it may not be discs the thief was actually interested in...

Meanwhile, Detective Barry Duckworth is still trying to solve two murders - one of which is three years old - he believes are connected, since each featured a similar distinctive wound.

As the lies begin to unravel, Cal is headed straight into the heart of a dark secret as his search uncovers more startling truths about Promise Falls. And when yet another murder happens, Cal and Barry are both driven to pursue their investigations, no matter where they lead. Evil deeds long thought buried are about to haunt the residents of this town - as the sins of the past and present collide with terrifying results.

Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
  • Just $60 for 12 months or $20 for 3 months.
  • More about membership!

Reviews

Media Reviews

"Sex tapes, secret rooms, and murder are all part of the fun in this new thriller from the best-selling Barclay. He successfully juggles numerous story lines and leaves readers eagerly anticipating the third and final book in the "Promise Falls" trilogy." - Library Journal

"Barclay's sequel to Broken Promise (2015) - the third book in the series will reveal why the number 23 turns up in all kinds of bad situations here - trades in thrills for black humor. But it's a crowd-pleaser nonetheless from one of the most reliable craftsmen in crime fiction." - Kirkus

This information about Far From True was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

Reader Reviews

Write your own reviewwrite your own review

Julie R. (Woodland, CA)

Town of Secrets
Far from true is a well written thriller filled with characters from Lindwood Barclay's first novel Broken Promises.

The novel begins with an explosion at an outdoor movie theater killing several people. Private Eye Cal Weaver is hired to investigate a break in at a home of one of the victims and finds a secret room where a lot of adult activities have occurred and were recorded. Movies are missing and many people's secrets may be exposed.

As Cal continues his investigation, Detective Barry Duckworth continues to solve the crimes of Promise Falls. From attempted rapes, murdered women and fire
bombed bookstores, his hands are full. But what keeps you up at night is will he ever figure out what the number "23" means and if it's the same person who is doing all of these crimes.

Overall, this book kept me entertained and I can't wait for the next installment.

Debi B. (Charleston, SC)

Far From True
I have read several Linwood Barclay books, including Broken Promises, which is the first of this trilogy. The characters are believable and just when you think you have things figured out, something else happens. Once I started reading this book, it was very hard to put down. I am so looking forward to book no. 3

Carol F. (Lake Linden, MI)

My First Linwood Barclay
I have never read a Linwood Barclay thriller before and so had no preconceptions about the quality of his writing. This book held my interest from the start and due to its short chapters I found it easy to pick up and read when I had few moments. I also did not realize this was part of a trilogy so was caught off guard at the end which was not the end. At first the characters seem like they do not belong in the same story but as you read you discover the connection between them. I wish there had been more development/back story of some of the characters but of course am not sure if this was taken care of in the first book. I will definitely look for the third book in this series.

Charlene M. (Murrells Inlet, SC)

Not "Far from True"
Linwood Barclay's novel Far From True is full of subplots and characters that appear to be random events. Which culminate in the solution that brings all the unrelated events together. Mr. Barclay is a master at building interesting characters & a story you can't put down.

David M. (Glendale, CA)

Storytelling at its best
In the second part of a trilogy, Barclay masterfully juggles a multitude of diverse plots; and, even more amazingly, ties everything together. Along with a variety of creepy and frightening villains, Far From True is filled with an assortment of flawed, troubled, and very endearing protagonists. All in all, the novel presents a many-layered tale with enough cliffhangers to keep most readers up late into the night. This is truly an enthralling novel, with enough tragedy, humor, and human emotion to rival a modern-day Shakespearean play.

Jeff M. (Somerset, NJ)

Far From True
For a small (fictious) town in upstate New York, Promise Falls has quite a number of bad things going on. This is the second novel in a planned trilogy (started with "Broken Promise") by Barclay. While I had read a number of his stand-alone thrillers in the past, not having read "Broken Promise" did not detract from this novel - you can easily catch up on the previous story threads. Barclay knows how to build the suspense and action and I found the book difficult to put down. While there are major storylines that will continue in the third book, the primary story in "Far From True" does, for the most part, reach resolution. While character development is not the strongest point, the action more than compensates and keeps the pages moving. I enjoyed the book and would recommend.

...16 more reader reviews

Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
  • Just $60 for 12 months or $20 for 3 months.
  • More about membership!

Author Information

Linwood Barclay Author Biography

Photo: Bill Taylor

Linwood Barclay is a New York Times and #1 international bestselling author whose critically acclaimed novels have been optioned for film and TV

Link to Linwood Barclay's Website

Other books by Linwood Barclay at BookBrowse
Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
  • Just $60 for 12 months or $20 for 3 months.
  • More about membership!

More Recommendations

Readers Also Browsed . . .

more thrillers...

Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
  • Just $60 for 12 months or $20 for 3 months.
  • More about membership!

BookBrowse Book Club

  • Book Jacket
    Becoming Madam Secretary
    by Stephanie Dray
    New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Dray returns with a captivating novel about an American heroine France Perkins—now in paperback!
  • Book Jacket
    The Jackal's Mistress
    by Chris Bohjalian
    From the New York Times bestselling author of Hour of the Witch, a Civil War love story of a Confederate wife and a wounded Yankee.
  • Book Jacket
    Dream Count
    by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
    A searing new novel from the bestselling author of Americanah and We Should All Be Feminists, exploring four women's desires.
  • Book Jacket
    A Map to Paradise
    by Susan Meissner
    From the USA Today bestselling author of Only the Beautiful. 1956, Malibu, California: Something is not right on Paradise Circle.

Members Recommend

  • Book Jacket

    The Antidote
    by Karen Russell

    A gripping dust bowl epic about five characters whose fates become entangled after a storm ravages their small Nebraskan town.

  • Book Jacket

    Girl Falling
    by Hayley Scrivenor

    The USA Today bestselling author of Dirt Creek returns with a story of grief and truth.

  • Book Jacket

    Jane and Dan at the End of the World
    by Colleen Oakley

    Date Night meets Bel Canto in this hilarious tale.

  • Book Jacket

    The Dream Hotel
    by Laila Lalami

    A Read with Jenna pick. A riveting novel about one woman's fight for freedom, set in a near future where even dreams are under surveillance.

  • Book Jacket

    Raising Hare
    by Chloe Dalton

    A moving and fascinating meditation on freedom, trust, and loss through one woman's friendship with a wild hare.

Who Said...

I write to add to the beauty that now belongs to me

Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!

Wordplay

Solve this clue:

B O a F F T

and be entered to win..

Your guide toexceptional          books

BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.